A Striper's Trip Through The Floodgates

[1969Larson]

I watched the tremendous flow of water from Beaver Lake into the tailwaters below today while the floodgates were open a mere 3 feet. What is this ride like for a fish? Does a striped bass swim too close to the dam chasing a ball of shad like usual only to find himself whisked over the top... plunge 200 feet down and recover in the tailwaters with rainbow trout all around? I guess fish can survive this trip ok? What do they do next? Head down toward Table Rock? Hang around the dam? Any ideas? What is the farthest downstream anyone has caught a striper?

[Ham]

When they pulled the floodgates on the Norfork last time, it was like Niagra Falls really really violent water. I saw it first hand and would have assumed NOTHING could survive that ride, but warm water fish by the thousands did. They survived the flood gates at BSL as well.

I had heard a rumor that some stripers did hang immediately below the dam at Beaver and get fat and happy on stockers, but I never saw anything that confirmed that on my 1/2 dozen trips there.

[rps]

The Arkansas record for striper was caught by Jeff Fletcher from the Beaver tail waters. 60+ pounds. It survived the ride down and fattened up on the trout.

[Tfsh4bass]

Last August I saw 3 BIG stripers within 1/2 mile of the Beaver dam just swimming around together